Amidst a flood of internet backlash, Carnie Wilson steps up to support her daughter Lola Bonfiglio's 'American Idol' journey while reminding critics that celebrities are real people too.
- Mar 31, 2025
AceShowbiz - Carnie Wilson comes to her daughter Lola Bonfiglio's defense following the latter's "American Idol" audition. The topic came up during a "Music of the '90s" panel at 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut, where she was joined by her bandmates Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips Baldwin, and Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean.
Lola Bonfiglio, at the age of 19, took the brave step to audition for "American Idol" on the March 23 episode, accompanied by her family for a heartfelt performance of "Hold On", one of the songs by her mom's band Wilson Phillips.
Despite the touching family support, which included Lola's father Rob Bonfiglio playing on guitar, the internet was not entirely kind.
"I just wanna say, we're human, and the internet is so cruel. It can be so cruel," Carnie lamented during the panel, emphasizing the emotional toll that negative comments took on her daughter.
Although the judges - Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan - praised Lola's clear voice and unanimously passed her to the next round, the online backlash revealed the darker side of celebrity life.
"Would you encourage a doctor's son not to be a doctor? No. Would you ever say, 'Don't be a doctor because your dad's a doctor'?" Carnie fired back at critics.
Despite Lola's double pedigree - her grandfather is the Beach Boys bandleader Brian Wilson and her mother a Wilson Phillips star - Carnie stressed she is "an aspiring artist" in her own right.
Chynna Phillips Baldwin emphasized on focusing on the positive rather than negative, pointing out the "beautiful comments" mixed in with the cruel ones. "I think that we need to recognize there were beautiful comments," she said, noting the encouraging words from supportive netizens.
Meanwhile, AJ McLean felt torn about his vote since his bandmate Brian Littrell's son, Baylee, was also competing on the show this season. "This is conflicting," he said before promising to vote for both Lola and Baylee.
Amidst the challenges, Carnie remains supportive of her daughter. "She did great. I'm so proud of her," she affirmed. "I encourage her to do it because she loves to sing," Carnie concluded, expressing her excitement for Lola's future and acknowledgment of her stunning voice.
The performance left her emotional, as she was seen tightly clutching tissues and wiping away tears during Lola's solo rendition of Kacey Musgraves' song "Rainbow."
